Dozen companies bid in floating solar farm auction

The auction for the installation and operation of photovoltaic plants on seven dams in Portugal, whose deadline for submission of proposals ended on March 2, received 12 competing projects, the environment minister told Negócios on Monday.

According to an interview with the environment and climate action minister João Matos Fernandes published today in Negócios, the auction had “12 competitors for the seven lots.”

Lusa contacted the ministry, which did not provide further details about the applications.

The deadline for submitting applications for the installation and operation of photovoltaic power plants in seven dams in the country ended on Wednesday at 11:59 pm, with the period for receiving proposals having run since January 29.

According to the schedule sent to Lusa, the bidding will take place on April 4.

The government will auction the exploration of 263 megawatts (MW) of solar energy in seven dams in the country, of which 100 in Alqueva, the “largest floating solar project in the world,” according to the secretary of state for energy, João Galamba.

According to the published order, in the Tagus hydrographic region, 50 MW will be auctioned in Castelo de Bode and 33 MW in Cabril, and in the North region 42 MW will be auctioned in Alto Rabagão, 17 in Vilar-Tabuaço, 13 MW in Paradela and 8 in Salamonde.

According to the environment minister, who spoke to journalists on the sidelines of the conference to present the tender, the next auctions do not yet have a set date, but the government is aiming for the next one to take place at the end of 2022.

The minister also clarified that the domain title of the auctions “is for 30 years,” and that therefore “production can happen for 30 years,” but the auction contract “is for 15 years.”

“Whoever bids, for 15 [years] produces electricity under the conditions that result from the auction. Then they have the other 15 years to produce in the normal market regime,” he said.